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Goddess help us if that's the case.
Chapter thirteen
Remy
Sitting across from Chase elevated her heart rate more than she thought it would. There was something about the way he was staring at her. A playful smirk on his lips, his eyes dancing with mischief; it almost felt like she would be a meal more than just a guest.
"Alone once again, Sweet cheeks."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Not really. My father is only upstairs."
"We should go to my room then. It's soundproof."
"Presumptuous of you to think it would be that easy."
Chase chortled. "I meant more for us to talk than anything. But if you want something more than that, just let me know. I have no problem obliging."
She fought the smile daring to show. He knew what he was doing and that he was good at making her feel this way. It felt natural to do this with him. It was like they just fell into that groove anytime they were present with each other. Remy couldn't recall a time she felt this comfortable around someone.
But there were still things to discuss. Remy couldn't tell her father that she had told Chase about the Dark Dimension. If Remy went to that room, she would discuss it further with him and make him see why Lykos asked the questions he did.
"Lead the way."
Chase's smirk grew, and then he gave a nod. They stood from the table, and he led them to his room. It was on the lower floor of the packhouse, which she thought was unusual. Most Alphas took the top floor to signal their place in the hierarchy. It was in the front corner of the house, a door she noticed on the way in. It was closed, and she could feel the privacy of it since none of the others were closed on this floor. He opened the door with a key and let her into the room. It was decorated in dark colors for the dressers and bed but with a light green painted on the walls. It almost looked like a forest, and it made her smile. She heard the door close, and the lock click. Remy spun around with a growl in her throat. Chase put his hands up in surrender as his eyes widened at her.
"Sometimes people aren't so respectable around here. I always lock it. Would you like me to keep it unlocked so you don't feel trapped?" he said with his mouth, pushing the feeling of remorse through their bond.
Remy sighed. "No. I'm just still charged up from what happened."
Remy noticed he remained by the door so she could keep his eyes on him. Through the bond, he was feeling a little on edge. Chase was angry that someone attacked her, and he wasn't around to help her through it. He was annoyed at how the whole kingdom seemed to be on edge, and simultaneously, he was aroused by Remy standing inside his bedroom. With a look around the room, she could get a sense that he was a private person. It was a massive room with a small kitchen off to the right, and another small room connected to it had a couch, two lounging chairs, and a table in the middle. There was a small wall that created a hallway with two doors. One seemed to be his actual bedroom as the door was open, and the other was a bathroom.
"I didn't realize the entire hallway was the wall to this mini apartment."
"I need my own privacy, sometimes. It is difficult to run a pack all the time when your social battery can give out at any time. I don't mind being the Alpha. I took it from someone who didn't deserve the title. It's just..."
She looked at him and finished the thought. "Sometimes you worry that you can't really be there for them because you have had enough people for the day."
Chase chortled. "Exactly. Sometimes, I just want time to myself. You can't pour from an empty cup."
Remy's memory was jostled at the mention of the previous Alpha. She remembered hearing stories about Silver Ridge. The Alpha was atrocious. Sometimes, she heard her parents talking about what they heard going on there. The Alpha would kill his own members for insubordination. There were times he just killed them because he was irritated with them. Chase was right about that Alpha not deserving the title. If anything, he deserved to die.
Then, hearing how he needed his own space from his members. That was something she was concerned with after becoming a Luna. That would require her to listen to the pack members anytime they had an issue. Even on a day when she did not want to deal with anyone, she would need to listen to their problems. Part of being a good leader was being there for those who needed her. It was a relief to know that Chase felt the same way. He built his room inside his pack house to be his mini oasis away from the pack but still close by if a situation arose in which he was needed. If he could do that without his pack thinking less of him, why couldn't she?
"That was always a fear of mine. Taking over my own pack and having to deal with everyone else's problems day in and day out. I've seen my parents going through that. I'm not the type to be all hands in and be there for someone twenty-four-seven. Will I be there for my pack and the people I care about? Absolutely. But how can I take a break?"
Chase chuckled. "It's not all bad. When you have a pack that runs like a well-oiled machine, it's more often than not that you are just there for the occasional problem—the moments when they really need some sound advice or someone who can listen to what they have to say."
"What about the times where they need advice on something you have no idea about?" she asked him, almost embarrassed to bring it up.
Chase held out his arm to point toward the living area. Remy followed him and chose to sit on the couch. It was softer than she expected, and the fabric was a little plusher than she had thought it would be. Its deeper brown color made her think that, if children were running around in there, if they spilled something, it would go unnoticed. Chase sat down in one of the chairs to give her space instead of on the couch next to her. She felt the reasoning behind his decision and wanted to frown at him for walking on eggshells around her. But she knew it was to show her, even though he was an alpha, he could give her space if needed.
"Part of being a good leader is knowing who you can delegate tasks to. I know who can give great advice and who can't—who's a better handyman or even a better cook. I know my pack backwards and forwards, so when anyone needs something in the pack, and I can't do it, I know exactly who can. You will, too, once you get to know your pack."
"So, it isn't all on the Alpha and Luna to do everything?"
Chase lifted an eyebrow at her. "No. Think about it. If your parents didn’t delegate tasks, they would take on too much work. That's not how a pack should run."
Remy shrugged. "I don't know how they run the pack. I have been on that island for eighteen months. I don't remember a whole lot before I went there, either. If something jostles the memory, then I can recall it. But I can't seem to remember things. Like, on my own."
